About Us

This Alumni Musicians Association is the vision of our founder, Edward “Creamy” Hayes, Jr. Creamy is a 1957 graduate of Bethune-Cookman College, now University (BCU). He was the product of the segregated school system of St. Petersburg in Pinellas County, Florida. Music was valued in his household as a youngster. He was influenced by friends who attended BCU and this inspired him to continue to grow his skills as a musician as a student. Upon graduation, he landed at the segregated Chisolm High School in New Smyrna Beach, Florida, where he taught band and driver education. He later taught both at New Smyrna High School and Spruce Creek High School in Port Orange, Florida and was elected as a City Commissioner in the City of Daytona Beach, Florida. This dedicated family man, Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity member, Mason and Knights of Columbus member gave of his time to many youth in his community, inspiring them to attend college and many to become music educators. His passion for BCU and music led him to found the Alumni Musicians Association, allowing musically inclined students to fulfill their vision of attending and graduating from BCU. He founded bands that played different genres of music and entertained across the state, beginning with the fabled “Chitlin Circuit”. Creamy was predeceased by his son, and bandmate, Edward “Googie” Hayes, III. Hs legacy lives on through his wife Joeretha and daughter LaVeta. He was and adoring grandfather whose granddaughter plays his instrument of choice, the saxophone, while his grandson, Edward IV plays trombone.